How loneliness could hurt your business success and what to do about it

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. This proverb sums up the enigma faced by many entrepreneurs. But working long hours and doing whatever it takes to make your business successful isn't always conducive to spending time with other people. Human connection, however, brings tangible benefits and should not be ignored.

According to Simone Heng, author of Secret Pandemic, connecting with others is key to the success of your business. Heng is a human connection specialist whose clients include Google, Bytedance, Salesforce, SAP, L'Oreal, TEDx and the United Nations and many more. As a former international host, Heng has appeared on Virgin Radio Dubai, HBO Asia and CNBC, and she and her work have been featured on CNN and publications such as Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar.

"If you want to be more resilient, you need to feel healthy and you need to have a human connection in your life," Heng explained. This is why it is so important for entrepreneurs to intentionally and strategically build their tribe.

The three types of loneliness

Entrepreneurs without team members may find it harder to build and nurture relationships. This is largely because workplace interactions have traditionally been the main sources of connection. Without some sort of intentional daily connection, the risk of loneliness increases.

There are three different types of loneliness, according to Bruce A Austin of Rochester University of Technology. The first, intimate loneliness, is the desire for someone with whom you can be truly vulnerable. More often than not, this need can be fulfilled by a romantic partner or best friend.

Then there is relational loneliness. This can happen when people don't feel like they are part of a social fabric that they can call on if they need help. Traditionally, people have looked to their colleagues to provide this kind of social protection and cohesion.

The last type of loneliness is collective loneliness. It happens when people feel like they don't have like-minded people around them. "Of the top three types of loneliness, the workplace provided reprieve for two of them," Heng said. "However, unless entrepreneurs intentionally foster human connection, individual entrepreneurs can struggle with loneliness and collective and relational burnout."

The relationship between connection and energy

The reciprocal relationship between connection and energy is ingrained in humans. "Studies have shown that our body has more bioenergetic resources when people go on a mission or journey with us, rather than going on the same mission alone," Heng said.

Entrepreneurs frequently take on many tasks during their journey to start and grow a business. Traditionally, entrepreneurs could stay motivated to accomplish these tasks by connecting with people in the office. However, the global increase in the number of people working from home has made this more difficult.

Working from home can increase productivity, but it can come at a cost. The more people feel the emotional stress of loneliness, the more depressed and anxious they can be. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that they will experience burnout, and the experience of burnout contributes to feelings of loneliness.

How loneliness can affect your business success and what to do

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The antidote to loneliness is connection

Heng's research, as well as her personal experience, led her to...